In The End
by Karakuri Pierrot
Summary: One-shot. A 23 year old man with his best friend encounters something that will scar them more. What will happen if one of their friends from college finds them?


I would like to dedicate this to **a can of ponta** for encouraging me to write more.

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Disclaimer: I don't own or want to own Prince of Tennis. It belongs and is owned by its rightful owner.

Eh… - story

"Eh…" - talking

_Eh… - thinking_

_**Eh… - song lyrics**_

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_**It starts with**_

_**One thing I don't know why**_

_**It doesn't even matter how hard you try**_

_**Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme**_

_**To explain in due time**_

I didn't know what came over me. One minute I was staring at them play with my best friend then the next minute I was challenging this guy. I don't remember why I'm challenging him.

_I remember now. He insulted my best friend._

After that thought, I played seriously, knocking the guy out.

"It doesn't matter how hard you try to knock me out. You're just too weak." I said before he lost his consciousness.

"You didn't have to do that." My best friend said.

"It doesn't matter. He insulted you even if he doesn't even know you, even though it would still be the same." I said then drank the water my best friend gave me.

"I know. Just don't force yourself, okay?" My best friend said.

"I promise. I won't play with them anymore I'll just insult them and, if I need to, kick their ass." I said, smiling.

"You never change." My best friend said.

_**All I know**_

_**Time is a valuable thing**_

_**Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings**_

_**Watch it count down to the end of the day**_

_**The clock ticks life away**_

We cried when we discovered she died. Her sickness was heart cancer. I comforted my best friend through her grandmother's death.

"Don't worry too much. Cry as much as you want until the pain resides." I said, weaving my fingers through my best friend's hair.

My best friend just kept crying on my chest and I just kept weaving through her hair. She nodded and continued crying. Half an hour later of crying, we decided to eat something then go home. We ate in a near restaurant even though we're not that hungry then went back to our apartment.

"We're home now." I said to her.

She nodded and I lead her to her room. She sat on her bed and cried more. I comforted her through it but we cried ourselves to sleep.

_Why should this happen to us?_

_**It's so unreal**_

_**Didn't look out below**_

_**Watch the time go right out the window**_

_**Trying to hold on, but didn't even know**_

_**Or wasted it all just to watch you go**_

"Don't give up. You still have lot's more to live for. I'm still here for you." I said.

"I know. Sorry. I'll stop but it needs time." She said.

"I know that. I just want to be rest assured that you won't do this. You're the only one I have left." I said while hugging her as tears started to fall.

"It's the same for me." She said, hugging me as well.

_You don't deserve this._

Later, we went out to eat and buy food and supplies.

"Hello. I didn't think I'll see you two here." A voice said from behind.

"Oh. What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm just shopping for some food." He said.

"We're shopping too. We're almost out of supplies and food." She said.

"I understand. I heard that you guys are having another reunion at Kawamura's shop." He said.

"It's true but we haven't attended even once. We've been very busy." She said.

"I see. Well, see you two around I guess." He said then left.

_**I kept everything inside**_

_**And even though I tried, it all fell apart**_

_**What it meant to me will eventually be**_

_**A memory of a time when**_

We stood in front of the door.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.

"I am. We have to face them soon. We better do it now than later. Don't you agree?" I asked.

"I do but, I'm not sure." She said.

I grasped her hand and she looked at me. I gave her a smile then entered the store after letting go. We took a seat beside each other.

"What made you show up?" One of them asked.

"Our schedules were packed and we managed to clear it up for today." I said.

"I see. How are you two doing?" Another asked.

"We're okay. Work has been hard but rewarding." She said.

"How about you guys?" I asked.

"We're okay. This isn't our usual day for a reunion but we decided it today since our schedules are free. We didn't know that yours wasn't. Sorry." The earlier one said.

"It's okay. We don't mind. It was us who didn't attend back then in the first place so you didn't have much of an idea." She said.

"You're still too nice you know." The second one said.

_It's not what you think. We've been through too much for you to comprehend._

_**I tried so hard and got so far**_

_**But in the end it doesn't even matter**_

_**I had to fall to lose it all**_

_**But in the end it doesn't even matter**_

We were taking a walk in the park when we saw a familiar face.

"Isn't that the one you last faced?" She asked.

"Yes. I wonder what he is doing here." I said.

Then, as if by cue, the guy turned around and saw us.

"Hello. I didn't know you two live near here." He said.

"It is the same for us. We thought we would never see you after college." She said.

"Well, the real surprise back then was at high school. We never expected you two to attend our school than your old school." He said.

"We got that a lot. How are you now?" I said.

"I'm fine. Thank you. How are you?" He asked.

"We're fine too." We said.

_We just have to try hard and now we've gotten so far in this façade. Will anyone see through it?_

_**One thing, I don't know why**_

_**It doesn't even matter how hard you try**_

_**Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme**_

_**To remind myself how**_

"It's nice to see you again. You live in here too?" He asked.

"Yes, we do." She said.

"In what rooms if I may ask. I would like to visit you from time to time." He said.

"We're in room 293 at the third floor." I said.

"You two live together?" He asked.

"Yes, we do but we're not together. It's a two-person apartment." I said.

"I see. How are your families?" He asked.

_They're dead. Is that enough?_

"They're okay." We said.

"Do they know you two are living together?" He asked.

We looked at each other.

"I'll take that as a no. When did you start living here anyway? I've been here since I entered high school." He said.

"We've been staying here since our second year in Junior High. We've been having family problems and stayed here." She said.

_**I tried so hard**_

_**In spite of the way you were mocking me**_

_**Acting like I was part of your property**_

_**Remembering all the times you fought with me**_

_**I'm surprised**_

One day, we got a visit from him and his friends.

"How are you two? It's been a month since we last saw each other." He said.

"We're fine. If you can excuse me, I'll be getting some drinks for you all." I said.

I over-heard them saying that I've clearly changed since they last saw me. I've become nicer and polite. I heard her laugh.

"You just don't know him enough." She said.

"She's right you know. You shouldn't judge someone by how they look." I said, bringing in tea while chuckling.

They sent me disbelieving looks.

"What?" I asked.

"You just chuckled." Some of them said.

"So what if I did? I'm human too you know." I said.

I excused myself again later and went to the bathroom. I stared at myself on the mirror.

_Stop mocking me._

I punched the mirror then it broke. I heard some footsteps then she entered the room.

"What happened?" She asked, looking at my bleeding fist.

"I punched the mirror, sorry." I said.

"Why did you do it again?" She said then sighed.

"I'll tell you later. I'll tell the landlord that it accidentally fell." I said, reassuring her.

"Okay. That's the fifth mirror you broke this month." She said, cleaning my wound.

They all looked surprised.

"And you don't do that too." I said sarcastically.

They got even more surprised.

"Hey, I only broke four mirrors. Four mirrors, I mind you." She said.

"Okay." I said.

_I guess you guys have an idea what happens behind our closed doors._

_**It got so far**_

_**Things aren't the way they were before**_

_**You wouldn't even recognize me anymore**_

_**Not that you knew me back then**_

_**But it all comes back to me in the end**_

We attended another reunion after two years but this time, with our friends from college.

"Hello. How are you two? I haven't seen you for this past two years." He said.

"We decided to have a vacation. We've been working for many years since we moved to the apartment years ago." I said.

"Where did you guys go?" Another asked.

"We went to America then London then Paris." I said.

"All of those for only two years?" Another one asked.

"Yes. We stayed the first half in America then London. We stayed in Paris last year." She said.

"You guys are so lucky. What is your work anyway?" The second asked.

"We're photographers. Do you remember the visit to our apartment two years ago?" She asked.

"I remember. There were a lot of beautiful pictures of landscapes and people there." The first one said.

"Which can you say was your favorite?" I asked.

"My favorite was the picture of the couple between your rooms. Who are they anyway?" He said.

"Ano… The people there aren't a couple. It was the picture we took on our fifth anniversary on the on our third year in high school." She said shyly.

_It was obvious that it was us and not some couple. How did he get that mistake?_

"Oh. Sorry for my mistake." He said then laughed sheepishly.

_Things aren't the way they were before. You didn't even recognize us anymore._

_**You kept everything inside**_

_**And even though I tried, it all fell apart**_

_**What it meant to me will eventually be**_

_**A memory of a time when**_

_We kept everything behind our masks. Our pain, suffering and sorrow we've been through. Will there ever be someone who'll bring us out of our shell?_

We were hanging out with our friends at college again but this time with my friends from Junior High as well. Many of them were laughing until one of them decided that someone should sing.

"I know, why don't you sing?" One asked me.

"Huh?" I said.

"Please sing. All of us here never had a chance to hear you sing." Our closest friend, the one who lives in the same building, said.

"That's not true. She heard me sing before." I said while pointing at my best friend.

"It's true. He has such a beautiful voice." She said.

They kept on begging until I gave up but on one condition, she has to sing with me as well. She agreed after lots of begging from our friends. Now, we're standing in front of everyone singing our hearts out.

_It feels so good not always hiding from everyone. I wish they'll take it easy if they found out the truth._

_**I tried so hard and got so far**_

_**But in the end it doesn't even matter**_

_**I had to fall to lose it all**_

_**But in the end it doesn't even matter**_

A few months have past until my cousin found me. We begged her to never tell anyone and she agreed.

"So this is the place you went when you left. I heard what happened to your grandmother too, I'm sorry." My cousin said.

"It's okay. He comforted me through thick and thin." She said.

"Are you two together?" My cousin asked, eyeing us.

"No, we aren't." I said.

"My feelings for him, when we were twelve was just a small crush, nothing big." She said.

_We just needed each others company for we have nobody left to take care of us. We tried so hard to live and here we are now._

_**I've put my trust in you**_

_**Pushed as far as I can go**_

_**And for all this**_

_**There's only one thing you should know**_

Today was her grandmother's death anniversary. We dressed in black and visited her grave. We did our normal routine there. Pray, place flowers in front of the grave then pray once more. It took us half an hour to do that routine on this day.

"Hey, let's go. We haven't eaten lunch yet. You can't let yourself get sick." I said.

"Okay. Let's go." She said then we went to a nearby burger joint.

We ate there and left. We passed by the cemetery and our eyes began to water. I placed an arm around her shoulders then lead her home. I got a call when we got there. It was an old friend back in Junior High.

"Who's crying?" He asked.

"My best friend is the one crying. Don't mind it too much. I can handle it." I said, hoping my own voice didn't crack.

"Okay. I just wanted to check up on you. I haven't got a word from you in years." He said.

"Okay. I have to go, bye." I said then hung up after he bid goodbye.

I comforted her again.

_Why must we put through this sheer torture?_

_**I've put my trust in you**_

_**Pushed as far as I can go**_

_**And for all this**_

_**There's only one thing you should know**_

One day, someone barged into her room, where we were sleeping in. I was comforting her last night and we cried ourselves to sleep. The visitor was shocked when my gaze fell on him. Then I noticed the others behind him with the same face.

"What are you all doing here at this time?" I asked, pulling up the covers to make sure she doesn't get cold.

"We wanted to visit you. It was nice enough of your friend to give us his key to your room." One said.

"Sorry we barged in like that. It seems we have disturbed you two." The one who barged in said, laughing sheepishly.

"It isn't what you think it is!" I hissed at them then checked if she woke up.

_Good. She'll be crying later if she saw them like this._

I got up from bed but made sure not to wake her up. I felt stares at my back when I was fixing the covers.

"What? Haven't seen a guy fix a bed before?" I asked.

"No. It's not that." Another one said, blushing.

I noticed his blush and glare at them.

"It's not what you think." I said.

"Okay." The same one said.

"Perverts." I mumbled.

Later, we were at the living room talking like nothing happened that morning. We didn't tell them our plans for our future. They don't need to know about us but we just can't forget years of friendship. I excused her and went to my bedroom.

"Do you think we should tell them? You don't have to agree if you don't want to." I said, not revealing the topic of the conversation as I noticed the door creaked open.

"No, I agree. We've kept them in the dark for too long. It's time they know." She said, getting the idea, I presume.

"Everyone, you can stop hiding now." I said, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind just to rile them up.

"I got it." She whispered while placing her hands on mine as everyone entered the room.

"All of you are probably wondering what are we talking about, aren't you?" She asked.

"Yes, we are but first I have a question. Why are you two keeping us in the dark?" One asked.

"Things happen but not all of them are good. It's about our families." I said.

"What about your families? Did something happen to them?" Another said, clearly worried.

"My parents got into some freak accident back in America." I said.

"My parents were in the same accident too." She said.

"Wait, I understand him being in America but weren't you here in Japan?" Another one asked.

"She told her grandma to not tell you guys that she went me and forced her parents to come." I said, placing my head on the crook of her neck.

"Where is she anyway?" The first one asked.

"Gone. She had died already." She said, gripping my arm harder.

"We're sorry. We didn't know." Another one asked.

"It's okay. You guys are probably wondering how, why and since when we're living together, right?" She asked nicely.

"Yes." They said.

"Sit there, we'll tell you." I said.

"We started living here when we started having family problems. We never understood why our parents hated each other back then." She said.

"Did you ever know why?" The second one from before asked.

"Yes. Her grandma told us that our parents have a very complicated background." I said.

"Our moms used to be co-workers while our dads were school mates." She said.

"That's what she first said to us after finding out we lived together since the second year of Junior High." I said.

"So that's why you two became real close suddenly. How did you become close anyway?" My old best friend asked.

"After the last match, she confessed to me. I rejected her but I said we could still be friends." I said.

"How did you take that?" Another asked her.

"I took it quite fine actually. Not a little bit sad or angry. I was actually happy that he said we could still be friends. He doesn't usually cope with others mostly girls you know." She said.

They all nodded knowingly.

"We just hang out until our parents discovered of our strong friendship and forbid us to see each other. They even told me to transfer schools." I said.

"I agreed with them but on one condition, I'll finish Junior High there. We made a plan but they discovered it. We stood for ourselves but they threatened to disown us. We knew that we must sacrifice something." She said.

"You chose friendship over family, right?" The one from earlier asked.

"Yes. At summer, we managed to find a two-person apartment and lived there. We still transferred for high school since the school was just too far away." I said.

_We also wanted to get as far away as possible from our parents' memories there._

"Please don't tell anyone about us living here. Only my cousin, our friends from college and you guys know. We don't want more people barging into our apartment." She begged.

"Sure. We don't want anyone barging through your private times together." The one who barged in said sarcastically.

"Shut up!" She said.

"Perverts." I mumbled.

"You got that right." She said.

We forced them out of my room then our apartment.

"We're placing our trust on you. Don't let us down." I said before I closed the door on their faces.

_We're placing a piece of our existence on your hands everyone._

_**I tried so hard and got so far**_

_**But in the end it doesn't even matter**_

_**I had to fall to lose it all**_

_**But in the end it doesn't even matter**_

"Hey!" A couple of voices said from behind.

We turned around to see some our friends.

_What are they doing here?_

"Why didn't you tell us you're leaving?" Marui said.

"There's no need to." I said coolly.

"What do you mean there's no need to?" Momo asked.

"We're not coming back. We're staying at Paris permanently." She said.

"Not coming back? Why?" Eiji asked.

"We can't stay here anymore." I said.

_It reminds us of our past too much._

"Is there any thing we can do to make you stay here?" Kirihara asked.

"No. We're leaving. Don't make this harder for us than it already is." I said.

I noticed her tearing up again. I hugged her to avoid any of them seeing her tears.

"Don't worry. We'll get over it soon. Calm down." I said softly, weaving my fingers through her hair like I usually do in private.

I felt stares at me but I didn't stop at me from continuing. I didn't even care about their disbelieving looks when I looked at them. Then I heard about our flight was boarding. She let go after wiping her tears.

"We have to go. That's our flight." I said.

She nodded in agreement then hugged everyone goodbye.

"Wait for me here. I'll just drop of our luggage then we can go." I said.

"Okay. Hurry up so we don't get late." She said then kissed my cheek.

I smiled at her then left. I came back later with everyone staring at me. She grasped my hand.

"I guess this is goodbye, everyone." We said.

"I guess so." Fuji and Yukimura said.

The rest tried to stand strong.

"There's no use standing strong guys." She said.

"You might think you know so much about us but even with all your data and what all you guys know put together, you'll never understand us." I said.

"There's only one thing you guys should know about." She said.

"In the end, it doesn't even matter." We said then left them to dwell on our last words to them.

_In the end, it doesn't even matter._

* * *

"In The End"

A Ryoma Echizen and Sakuno Ryuuzaki One-shot

Song: In the end by Linkin Park

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Reviews, Comments, Flames and Criticisms are welcome.

Hope you like this one!

Linkin Park addiction really pays off.


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